Tradition
by Becomingwhaturmeantobe
Summary: One of Maddy’s fondest and most recurring memories. BJ and the M's verse, same as Five Times Dean Sees and Name Games.


**Author's Note: **Hey! I haven't written in a long time so thought I'd give this a try. It's part of the BJ and the M's verse, the same verse as Five Times Dean Sees and Name Games. Feedback is appreciated. Thanks to sandmg for the beta.

One of Maddy's fondest and most recurring memories is of waking up early on a Saturday morning to Daddy's gravelly voice telling her they're going on an adventure. She'd slip on a pair of sweatpants and sweatshirt overtop of her pajama top, shake out her bed head and walk downstairs following Ben as he wiped early morning sleepy from his eyes.

Daddy would put on his old brown slip-ons Mommy had bought him and Maddy would lean against Ben while trying to wiggle her feet into her own shoes.

They'd walk outside and hear the crunch under their feet as they slowly made their way to the Impala and Dad would open her door with a creak and she would climb into the comfortable back seat. Seatbelts on, Dad would start the Impala with a rumble and back out of the driveway and onto their street.

Ben would fiddle with the radio and settle on a station after a few minutes but change it just as quickly as he had found it. Daddy would tap along to whatever was on, even though every once in a while he would turn back to Maddy and make a funny face about Ben's choice of music which would make Maddy shriek with laughter.

Ben would always end up putting on Daddy's favorite station or putting in the tape labeled Led Zeppelin and Daddy would sing along with it sometimes.

They always went to the same breakfast place. Ben called it the nowhere place because it was the only thing around besides fields of crops and an old weather beaten farm.

Once inside Maddy was allowed to pick their table. She usually picked the one in the corner by the big window, where the sunlight warmed up the seats. The waitress came over with their usual drink order, chocolate milk and two coffees. Mommy didn't like when Ben drank coffee but Daddy said it would be their little secret. Maddy knew Ben didn't love the coffee, he just drank it because Dad did.

The menu was then scrutinized even though all three Winchesters could tell you exactly what was on the menu and what they would order. Dad always ordered steak and eggs, Ben a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich and Maddy, pancakes with powdered sugar. Mom probably wouldn't appreciate the powdered sugar that Maddy poured on the pancakes but as Daddy said, if they wouldn't tell, neither would he. It was their special thing.

They talked about a lot of things. Maddy took the time to question her Dad. Why was the sky blue? Why did they have freckles? How come even though she was five and considered a big girl now, she wasn't able to sit up front in the Impala like Ben?

Ben and Dad practiced silent communication with their eyes. She'd seen her Dad do this with Uncle Sam. It was a work in progress.

Sometimes Grandpa would call while they were eating. Daddy would talk to him about things, under his breath, and Maddy drew on the paper placemats with the crayons the waitress gave her. Sometimes the calls would end with Dad smiling and saying Grandpa was on his way and others Dad would close the phone with a loud snap, enough to almost break it, and take a deep breath.

When Maddy wasn't asking questions, Ben wasn't trying to learn facial expressions and eye communication, and Grandpa didn't call, Daddy would tell them stories.

Usually the stories were about when Dad and Uncle Sam were little. One time -- and Dad said he probably shouldn't be telling them this -- Uncle Sam and him set off fireworks on July Fourth and almost burned down the whole field.

Ben smiled, his eyes far away as if he could see the fireworks. "Cool."

Maddy just giggled at Daddy's expressions when he told the story.

And one time, Daddy told them how Mommy and he met. Ben already knew it so he sat back in his chair with his face blank and listened to it, a small smile creeping up every once and a while.

Maddy loved that story. She memorized it and pieced it together to the one Mommy had told her so that they fit, like pieces of a heart.

Maddy knew that Mom and Dad had Ben before they got married. Mommy said sometimes it happens that way and that Daddy had some stuff to do before he could settle down. Mommy said she wouldn't change what had happened for the world because it gave her Ben and Maddy and Daddy said the same thing, too.

After breakfast, Daddy would order a bagel and coffee for Mom and they would get in the car and drive back home. Sometimes, they would get a bunch of bagels and go to Uncle Sam and Aunt Jess's and knock real loud on their door until Uncle Sam came to the door with bed head that made Daddy laugh.

Maddy would grin, "Can we please come in Uncle Sammy?" to which Dad would grin and give her a high five and then offer Uncle Sam bagels as a truce.

Aunt Jess would make coffee for Dad and Uncle Sam and Maddy and Ben would crowd at the table with the rest of the Winchester clan.

Years later, they drive down a familiar rode.

"I can't believe you're the one driving me around," Dad says wistfully and shakes his head. They are headed to the nowhere place, like they had been doing for thirteen plus years, except this time, Ben is in the backseat.

"Couldn't you guys have just brought me a bagel?" Ben mutters, head against the backseat, eyes closed. Ben, like their father, was not a morning person. As he had gotten older, Saturday morning ventures to the nowhere place had gotten harder.

"No," Maddy and Dad tell Ben.

"Winchesters don't break traditions," Dad says and fiddles with the radio before popping in Led Zeppelin.

Maddy just laughs.


End file.
